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Universal Music, a subsidiary of Vivendi, announced Friday the signing of a definitive agreement with Citigroup to buy back the recorded music industry of its British rival EMI for a total of 1.2 billion sterling (1.4 billion euros).

The operation, if it goes to completion, will allow the first record company to add to its global purse of music stars such as Coldplay and Katy Perry, but it may be a long review and detailed by the competition authorities.

"It is a historic acquisition for UMG (Universal Music Group) and an important step in preserving the heritage of EMI Music," said Lucian Grainge, CEO of Universal, in a statement.

The U.S. bank, the Financial Times on Friday, would end the deadlock by agreeing to make such commitments at his expense.

Also interested in the recorded music division of EMI, the billionaire Len Blavatnik, owner of Warner Music Group, was considered the favorite, but according to two people familiar with the discussions, he threw in the towel last week after the rejection by Citigroup's offer of a $ 1.5 billion.

The term fast cash does not refer to money that falls from the sky. It refers to the money obtained through a cash advance.

European banks may need more than 100 billion euros of fresh money to the crisis of sovereign debt, said Saturday in Ireland, on the eve of a meeting between Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel should be largely devoted to the recapitalization of the sector.

Illustration of the urgency of the matter: Paris and Brussels talks continued Saturday for an orderly dismantling of Franco-Belgian group Dexia, the first European victim of the bank debt crisis.

Germany and France have so far given conflicting discourses on the best way to strengthen banks weakened by the devaluation of their holdings of sovereign debt of countries "devices" in the euro area and by the recent turmoil in the markets Financial.

Paris would prefer to use the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF) to recapitalize their own banks, while Berlin insists on booking this instrument of last resort actions, such as support to Greece.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), meanwhile, estimates that the capital requirements of banks could reach 200 billion euros, the equivalent of half the resources of EFSF.

The Irish Finance Minister, Michael Noonan, said Saturday that the necessary capital to strengthen banks' balance sheets could come from different sources but the overall bill would in any case heavy.

"I think everyone agrees that far exceed 100 billion (euros)," he told reporters on the sidelines of an economic conference in Dublin.

"I know some of the major German banks with which I myself have discussed plan to raise money in the market, so there will be a private financing. Other banks would have EFSF funds. Others depend on their government to provide capital, there will be many ways to do this, "he added.

EACH SETTING THE CONDITIONS

Some officials believe that forcing many major financial institutions to accept public funding would not make the best use of European resources.The banks, themselves, fear that this strategy branding some of them and inflame tensions in the markets.

The German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reported Saturday, citing financial sources, that the first five French banks would be willing to receive 10 to 15 billion euros invested by the French state on condition that Deutsche Bank, a number Germany is also increasing its capital.

The CEO of Deutsche Bank, Josef Ackermann, is opposed to any entry of the state capital of his group and he ruled out a capital increase.

A spokesman for Deutsche Bank reiterated Saturday that double principled position and declined to comment further.

Nicolas Sarkozy, who received Saturday the Executive Director International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, to arrive in Berlin in mid-afternoon on Sunday for a meeting and a working dinner with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Their discussions will be devoted to the preparation of the G20 summit in Cannes in early November and that the European Council and summit of the euro area provided 17 and 18 October, while Seventeen still struggling to implement the new mechanisms supposed to solve the debt crisis.

In Slovakia, in fact, the various parties in the ruling coalition Saturday remained at odds over ratification of the Europe Agreement of 21 July which provides for the strengthening of EFSF, one of the smaller parties placing conditions on his support.

Slovakia and Malta are the last two countries in the euro area has not ratified the agreement in July that some regional leaders believe already passed.

The German finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, has acknowledged in an interview with FAZ that Europe may have underestimated the resources needed to reduce the burden under which plunged Greece.

"The risk is high to see this crisis about a further escalation and spread," he added.

A view shared by the Greek representative at the IMF, for which the financing needs of Athens will be higher than current estimates.

"This lack of funding will be covered either by an increase of 109 billion loan decided on July 21 or by a private debt restructuring," he told the Greek daily Imerisia.

Airbus said Tuesday that its net orders had reached 1,015 units in August 31, widening the gap with its rival Boeing.

The European aircraft manufacturer, a subsidiary of EADS, has seen its gross orders reach 1,156 units in eight months, and canceled orders was $ 141.

The manufacturer also announced it has delivered 334 aircraft since the beginning of the year.

By comparison, the U.S. manufacturer had received 370 net orders at the end of August.

However, Boeing hopes to catch up with her future MAX 737 for which it said it had received commitments for 496 aircraft orders.

Airbus had already struck his great American rival to the air show in June

Delta Air Lines said Thursday it ordered 100 aircraft to Boeing 737-900ER for a total of $ 8.5 billion (5.9 billion euros) at list prices.

Delta launched last year a tender for the supply of up to 200 aircraft to replace its oldest aircraft. The airline announced this year it was in talks with Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS, Embraer and Bombardier and Boeing.

"The 737-900ER aircraft is perfect to replace those that are the oldest and least efficient of our single-aisle fleet," said in a statement from Delta CEO Ed Bastian.

The Boeing 737-900ER is the latest addition to the family of next-generation 737.

Oil prices have closed up nearly 3% Monday in the hope that European leaders will eventually find a solution to the debt crisis.

Black gold has also benefited from the new growth in global stock markets and the decline of the dollar.

On the Nymex, the contract on September U.S. crude (WTI) finished with a gain of 2.50 dollar, or 2.93% to 87.88 dollars a barrel.Meanwhile, Brent advanced to 1.61%, or $ 1.74, to 109.77 dollars.

The price of Brent are still lower by about 15% compared to the highest of the year of 127.02 dollars reached in April.

This level, the highest since the outbreak of the 2008-2009 financial crisis had been reached at the time of the eruption of violence in Libya, which disrupted the supply of crude to Europe.

Since the concerns about the state of the global economy is refluxed in the market.

European shares rebound ended Tuesday, ending an unbroken series of 11 cuts in the wake of the collapse following the decision by Standard & Poor's lowered under "AAA" rating of the United States.

Paris closed up 1.63% to 3176.19 points (final number). London has been 1.89%, Frankfurt ended down 0.1% while New York also took up after a fall in the Dow Jones more than 5% Monday.

Milan took 0.52%, Madrid lost 0.36%.

The Euro Stoxx 50 closed up 0.32% and 300 Eurofirst gained 1.27% (a figure likely to change again).

Can not sell tobacco as licensed, the number is limited.

Tobacco sales in four departments overseas since Monday is officially supervised: the councils will have to divide their territory a limited number of outlets licensed and unpopular reforms still unclear which they are reluctant to enter. This change in the sale of tobacco in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyane and Reunion (not in Mayotte where taxation is not aligned, ie) arises from the supplementary budget for 2011 in the Official Journal published Saturday.

Article 44, the result of an amendment by Senator Reunion Anne-Marie Payet (Centre Union) who fought for years on behalf of the "public health", thus regulating "effect from 1 August 2011" sale tobacco in the DOM.Now can not sell tobacco as licensed, the number of "maximum" is detailed: for the 540 Martinique, 550 for Guadeloupe, Reunion and 1070 to 300 in Guyana. In other words, a drastic reduction that is already cringe. Historically, the sale of tobacco escaped any regulation since the creation of DOM in 1946 because "some areas have local production," told AFP Anne-Marie Payet.

Thus at the meeting, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry has identified 2,000 sales outlets. "Either for 1 320 inhabitants in 3500 against one in France", denounced Ms. Payette, who recalls "that tobacco kills 600 people a year on the island, ten times the traffic accidents."In the DOM, tobacco is purchased in any small local shops or shopping mall where he can serve as a loss leader: sometimes in baking at the meeting, in "Chinese" (grocers) in Guyana, in gas stations, bars, etc..

The councils are not ready

A transition period was intended to allow those who would not receive a license – which the price remains to be decided by the county councils – to liquidate their stock, "not later than December 31." The president of the rights of nonsmokers, Gerard Audureau, welcomed this "trend that is returning the DOM in the law." "The government will ensure its implementation, but we will do that too," he told AFP.

Through the voice of Baroin, who was budget minister in parliamentary debates, the government had opposed the measure, said it was "not realistic" date of August 1. A view shared by the General Council (GC). "We are absolutely not ready", it has been recognized in Martinique, where it criticizes the criteria for licensing "undefined". In Guadeloupe, the MC asks the State to enforce the regulation itself, denouncing "a new skill without additional resources" to investigate cases.

The CG of the Meeting, he, passed a motion "to oppose the measure and seek, where appropriate, whether the Regional Director of Customs who issues the licenses." In Guyana, where already 30% of sales are illegal, there is concern that the limited outlets encumber all tax revenues (DOM each collection itself tobacco-related taxes).The Ministry of Overseas stressed that the law was "not directly applicable" to a decree clarifying all these gray areas (the award criteria, duration of licenses, etc.). Is' in progress development "and must be published" before the end of the year. "

Unemployment rose in June for the second consecutive month in France, the young, the elderly and long-term unemployed being particularly affected, show statistics released Wednesday by the Ministry of Labour and job center.

The number of job applicants in category A (those who carry on any business during the month) in France rose by 33,600 (1.3%) to $ 2,720,400.Over one year the increase was 1.5%.

The number of jobseekers in Class A has reached in June to its highest level since December 2010.

Increases in May and June came after four consecutive months of decline that had been hope for a turnaround.

By adding the persons engaged in small (B and C), the increase in the number of unemployed reached 0.6%, or 25,200 people over a month to $ 4,103,700.On an annual basis, the increase was 4.0%.

"The poor figures in May and June require implementation as soon as possible of all the steps to employment adopted in parliament in early July," said Labour Minister, Xavier Bertrand, in a statement citing the "contract security professional. "

The contract, which must ensure that employees dismissed for economic reasons a level of compensation equal to 98% on net income and a stronger support for a year, will enter into force on 1 September, said Xavier Bertrand.

Martine Aubry, the Socialist candidate in the primary for the 2012 presidential election, said his "anger" vis-à-vis the government, which it is not mobilized to reduce unemployment, particularly by requiring banks to finance small and medium enterprises.

"We really feel it's the least of worries the government," she said on France Inter.

In June, youth, people over 50 years and long-term unemployed were particularly affected.

The number of registered unemployed for over a year in categories A, B or C has increased by 1.0% in France, bringing the increase over one year to 10%.

Depending on age, number of people under 25 registered increased by 1.4% (-4.4% year on year) in group A and 1.2% in categories A, B, C (-1.8% YoY).

The number of over 50 years has meanwhile increased by 2.0% (+13.0% yoy) in Class A and 1.5% (+14.3% yoy) in categories A, B and C.

Another negative sign, the offers collected by employment center were down 4.0% over the month. They remain, however, up 2.8% year on year.

The job satisfaction decreased by 8.9% but still up 3.5% year on year.

The Dutch institution Rabobank said on Wednesday it would cut more than 1,200 jobs in its headquarters to save 219 million euros in the next two years.

UBS and Credit Suisse are also about to announce thousands of layoffs at a time when they face lower volumes in their brokerage operations and higher costs, according to a Swiss newspaper.

Unlike its rivals ABN Amro and ING Group, Rabobank did not seek public assistance during the financial crisis and had not suffered losses during this period by one of the few banks with a credit rating Triple A.

Rabobank, which employs 59.000 people worldwide, said she wanted to improve its profitability in its headquarters in Utrecht has developed a new complex in the center of the university town.

The proposed downsizing of Rabobank is not related to a loss of interest in its products or to economic uncertainty, said Manel Vrijenhoek, spokesman for the bank.

"We have to monitor our effectiveness.On a long term basis and in light of our competitiveness, we work more effectively as possible? This examination is normal, "she said.

A number of "significant" of these reductions will affect IT sector but the bank declined to give details, adding that the issue still needed to be discussed internally with employees of the group.

The United States accused Beijing of using taxes, quotas and a minimum price regime to restrict exports of certain raw materials vital for European industry. A wealth of rare metals in Nancheng in Jiangxi Province, Oct. 9, 2010.

The European Union welcomed Tuesday the sentence imposed by the WTO to China because of its restrictions on exports of raw materials, seeing a "strong signal" sent to Beijing, while another dispute brewing over rare earths.

"This is a clear verdict in favor of open trade and fair access to raw materials," said EU Trade Commissioner, Karel De Gucht. "It sends a strong signal that we must avoid imposing unfair trade restrictions and this brings us closer to a situation of equity in the commodities sector," he said in a statement.

The WTO, hearing an appeal from 2009 to the EU, U.S. and Mexico, held a series of illegal restrictions imposed by China on exports of commodities nine crucial for European industry (bauxite, zinc, coke, magnesium in particular).

The cause of the taxes imposed on exports, import quotas and a system of minimum prices. Europeans and Americans believe that this contributes to increase prices of finished products which need these commodities.

They are used for medical equipment, CDs, electronics, automotive, refrigerators, non-ferrous metallurgy, car batteries, or cans of drink.

The Commissioner issued a warning to Beijing about the issue of neighboring rare earth: "In light of this result, China should ensure free and fair access to supplies of rare earth."

China provides about 95% of world production of rare earths, a group of 17 mineral elements necessary for the manufacture of many high-tech products, from iPods to wind through the batteries for electric vehicles. But it has only about 36% of known reserves of these substances.

Beijing decided in December to reduce by 35% in the first half of 2011 export quotas for rare earths, compared to the same period last year, triggering protests from Japan, the United States and the Germany in particular.